GEORGES SEURAT

French post-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat originated the iconic Pointillist method, creating his famous A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. He influenced many contemporaries with his unique artworks and method, like Paul Signac and Vincent van Gogh. Seurat was also enthralled with the science behind art: he believed artists could use color to create harmony and balance, much like a musician. Seurat was born in Paris, which, as the center of the contemporary art world, gifted him easy exposure to art. He took early lessons from his father and continued onto art school, which he hated for its strict methodologies. He left art school, abandoned Impressionism, and invented Pointillism. He created many wonderful works of art, but his career was cut short at 31 when tragedy struck. He and his son died of pneumonia, sadly leaving behind his family and a final unfinished art piece.